Radiator-control valve.



C. D. ALLAN.

RADIATOR CONTROL VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14. 1914.

d Patented June 8, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

' C. D. ALLAN. RADIATOR CONTRdL VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14. I914.

1,142,389. Patented June 8, 1915.

- I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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CHARLES D. ALLAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BADIATOBPCONTROL VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915;

Application filed December 14, 1914. Serial No. 877,160.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. ALLAN, a

' citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certa n new and useful Improvement in Radiator-Control Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valves for controlling the steam supply to radiators, and more particularly to the type of valves that are provided with a graduated dial and indicator and are used with vapor' or modulating systems of steam heating, in Wl'llCll it is intended to keep warm only such parts of each individual radiator, as may be necessary to maintain the desired room temperature.

Most of these valves of which I have any knowledge, have no mechanism for adjusting them so that the position of the indicator on the dial will determine the amount of the radiator warmed, notwithstanding its total heating surface, if within the capacity of the valve. Valves of this type are ordinarily made in four sizes 1/2, 3/4, 1" and 11/ which" must serve for an unlimited number of radiator capacities, so that unless there be means of changing the degree of opening of the valve per unit of rotary motion of the stem, the dial graduations cannot be made to indicate the corresponding fractional heating of the radiator.

My invention therefore has for its object to provide a construction for a radiator control valve, having calibrating mechanism,

e adjustment of which will permanently insure the fractional heating of any size radiator Within its capacity to which it'may be applied, as called for by the position of the indicator on the graduated dial, fprovided the steam pressure be reasonably constant.

My invention has for its further object to provide a construction that is sufliciently simple so that such a valve can be manufactured at a cost which is very little if anything in excess of that for valves which are not provided with such an adjusting device.

To effect the foregoing objects, a valve of I my invention comprises the various features, combinations of features and details of con struction hereinafter described and claimed.

- Inthe accompanying drawings, in which my invention is fully illustrated, Figure 1 is Y a combined elevation and central sectional view of a valve of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan viewshowing the valve. in closed position in full lines and the open position thereof in dotted lines. Fig.3 1s a top plan view of my improved valve with the operatmg lever removed. Fig. 4 is a side view of the upper end of my improved valve including the operating and regulating mechanism, taken from a position opposite to that from which Fig. 1 is, taken. F ig. 5 is a view of theparts shown in Fig. 4 taken from the position 55, Flg. 4:. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the upper part of the valve on the line 6-6 of F1g. 1 looking in the direct1on indicated by the arrow; and Fig. 7 is a sectional development of the cam surface on the upper face of the dial above the vdatum plane w-y, Fig. 1, on the arcs abcd and a b '0' d respectively, Fig. 3.

Referring now tothe drawings, A designates the valve casing as. a whole, which for convenience of manufacture and to provide for assembling the same, is made in two separate sections, and comprises an upper section A and a lower section A which are detachably connected by screw threads adapted to be operated by the hexagon 1 formed on the section A of the valve casing, a tight joint being formed between the parts of said valve casing by finishing the contacting surfaces thereof.

Extendingthrough the section A of the valve casing is an inlet passageway 2 which is screw threaded at its outer end to provide for making a steam connection thereto, and formed at the inner end of which is a valve seat 3.

The steam inlet 2- is controlled by a valve 4 which cotiperates with thevalve seat 3, said valve being maintained normally closed by a spring 5 applied thereto. In the preferable construction shown, the valve 4 consists of a head formed on the lower end of the valve stem 6, Which is fitted to a bearing in a hollow boss 7 forming part of the valve casing section A, said bearing being in axial alinement with the valve seat 3. The valve stem bearing is packed to maintain a tight joint around same, in the following manner :Formed in the boss 7 at the inner A valved and the packing gland 10 and which surrounds the valve stem 6. The valve is guided in its movement toward and from the section A of the valve casing below said valve seat. I 1 1 The section 1A "of the 'valve' caslng is provided with a discharge [opening 13 which, as shown,'is'-formed'through a lateral boss or projection 1-1 on said valve casing section, said boss or projection being threaded at its outer end to provide for making pipe connections thereto.

Rigidly secured to the upper end of the valve casing A, being preferably formed integral therewith, 'is a dial 15, formed on the upper surface of which is a cam surface 16, said dial being provided with graduations to indicate various degrees of opening of the valve 1, as shown in Fig. 3, a limit stop 17 and the bearingsleeve 18 for the valve stemfi. ,2

' The valve 4; is adapted to .be' operated by a lever- 19 pinned or otherwise rigidly .se-;

cured to the upper end of the'valve stem: I M p as in Fig. 3,*that refer to the position of 7 6 and which comprises, as component parts,

cam surface 16" when the an indicator 20, a projectinglug 21 adapted to engage beneath a pro ecting lug 22 on the limit stop 17 to secure the valve to its seat when closed, and with a boss 23'- on its under side extending through which is a hole or opening secured in screw threaded engagements with which'is an ad- 'justing screw. 24, said screw 24 having at one end a bead 25 which rides uponqthe valve stem is" turned axially. i

The undersurface of the operating lever 19, as shown inFig. 6, is formed to a con cave half cylinder of the same diameter as the bead 25 'so that the half of the periphery of the bead that is uppermost is in contact with it. 7 I

The method of operating my improved valve isv as follows: In Fig. 2 is shown the position of the operating lever 19, when the valve is closed, the indicator 20 being'then over the word Shut on the graduated dial 15. In this position the upper surface of the lug21 projecting from the operating lever 19 engages with the; under surface of the lug 22 projecting from the limit. stop 17, both'of said surfaces being correspondingly inclined at a slight angle to the horizontal, thus producing a wedging efl'ectwhich will hold the valve securely toits seat when closed.

To completely open the valve from its' closed position, the valve stem 6 must be turned three quarters of one complete revolution bymeans ofthe operating lever '19,

the indicator 20 of which will then travel in a circular direction, as shown "by the .closing easier to follow.

arrows, until it reachesv the position over the word Qpen as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. During this operation the valve 4 is raised from its seat against the tension of the spring 5 by the action of the bead-25 on the screw 24: riding on the cam surface 16 on the upper surface of the dial 15. To more' clearly illustrate the action for corresponding valve positions, which will make: the operation of opening and The dial graduations in Fig. 2 are as they should'be when the valve ismade and refer to thepositions V V of the indicator 20, and asthe bead 25 must always be on the oppositelside of the dial from the sa1'd -findicator, dial graduations,

the head 25 must be opposite to corresponding graduations referring to the position of the indicator 20.

Iig. .7 shows ,two sectional developments of thecam surface 16 above the horizontal datum plane w-aq, Fig. 1, the, shorter development being on the arc abcd, Fig. 8, near the inner edge of said cam,' and the outer edge of said cam, both arcs being concentric with the-valve stem 6. From unit .of angular movement from the shut position is much greater along the inner arc abc-0Z than along the outer are a-b'-?c"d and slmilar developments along intermediate parallel arcs would have intermediate proportional slopes.

As the operation of opening, the valve 4: is raised from its seat. 3 against the tension of the spring 5 by the head 25 riding upward on the cam surface l6'inan arc concentric with the stem 6, it therefore follows that the rate of vertical movement of the valve 1 per unit of rotary motion of the stem 6 depends upon the distance of the head 25 from said valvestem 6, increasing or decreasing within the limits of the pitch or slope of said cam surface 16 atits'inner' and outer periphery, as the head, 25 is brought'nearer to or farther from the said stem (3 by the adjusting screw 24;. Consequently the fractional heating of an indi vidual radiator can'be made toconform to the position of the indicator on the gradu ated dial, for if the pitch of the inner and outer circular edges of the cam surface 16 are made to suit radiators of maximum and minimum heating surface which can be served by the given valve size, then the same valve can serve a radiator of any intermediate heating surface capacity, as the head on the adjusting screw can be moved so that it will travel over the cam surface in an arc of any intermediate slope desired. In this Way the principal object of this invention is attained, to Wit, to provide a valve which will insure the fractional heating of a radiator in accordance with the posditiim of the indicator on the graduated When the indicator reaches the graduation marked Open, in Fig. 2, the bead 25 is at the angular position marked Open in Fig. 3 and is at a height above the datum plane w-y which is the same regardless of its distance from the stem, as is clearly shown in the sectional developments in Fig. 7. In other words the free area of opening for the open position is the same for all sizes of radiators, the modulating effect being sought only. in the fractionalpositions and not in the completely open or closed positions.

l/Vhen the valve reaches a completely open position as indicated by the position of the operating lever shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, further motion in a direction to open is prevented by the limit stop 17.

" Claims.

1. In a valve of the type described, coacting means attached to the stem and casing for varying the free area of opening of the valve, said means consisting of a cam surface rigidly attached throughout to one and a rigidly supported member adjustably atr tached to the other, which member rides on i said cam surface as the valve stem is turned axially and means for holding said member contact with said cam surface, substantially as described.

' 2. In a valve of the type described, coact-- ing means attached to the stem and casing for varying the free area of opening of the valve, said means consisting of a cam surface rigidly attached throughout to one and a rigidly supported member adjustably attached to the other, which member rides on said cam surface as the valve stem is turned axially, means for holding said member in contact with said'cam surface and means for tightly securing said valve to its seat when in a closed position, substantially as described.

3. In a valve of the typedescribed, coacting means attached to the stem and casing for varying the free area of opening of the valve, said means consisting of a cam surface rigidly attached throughout to one and a rigidly supported member adjustably at-- tached to the other, which member rides on said camsurface as the valve stem is turned axially, means for holding said member in contact with said cam surface and means for tightly securingsaid valve to its seat when in closed position, comprising interlocking projections attached to said valve stem and casing, substantially as described.

4. In a valve of the type described, coacting means attached to the stem and casing for varying the free area of opening of the valve, said means consisting of a cam surface rigidly attached throughout to one and a rigidly supported member adjustably attached to the other, which memberrides on said cam surface as the valve stem is turned axially, its point of contact traveling in a circular path concentric with the longitu dinal axis of the stem, means foradjusting. the distance of said point of contact from the longitudinal axis of the stem, the contour of said cam surface being such that the rate of variation of free area of opening of the valve per unit arc of axial turning of the stem changes when the distance of said point of contact from the longitudinal axis of said stem is changed and means for holding said member in contact with said cam surface, substantially as described.

5. In a valve of the type described, coacting means attached to the stem and casing for varying the free area of opening of the valve, said means consisting of a cam surface rigidly attached throughout to one and a rigidly supported member adjustably attached to the other, which member rides on said cam surface as the valve stem is turned axially, its point of contact traveling in a circular path concentric with the longitudinal axis of the stem, means for adjusting the distance of said point of contact from the longitudinal axis of the stem, the contour of said cam surface being such, that the rate of variation of free area of opening of the valve per unit arc of axial turning of the stem, changes when the distance of said point of contact from the longitudinal axis of said stem is changed, means for holding said member in contact with said cam surface and means for tightly securing said valve to its seat when in a closed position comprising interlocking projections -attached p to said stem and easing, substantially as described.

6. In a valve of the type described, coacting means attached to the stem and casing for varying the free area of opening ofe the valve, said means consisting of a cam surface rigidly attached throughont to one and a rigidly supported member adjustably attached to the other, which member rides 011 said cam surface as the valve stem is turned axially, its point of contact traveling in a circular path concentric with the longitudinal axis of the stem, means for adjusting the distance of said point of contact from the longitudinal axis of the stem, said cam sur' face terminating'at each circumferential end in a surfacesubstantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said stem, on one of which surfaces the said member rests when the valve is in a completely open or closed position, the contour of said'cam sur- I face being such that the rate of variation offree'area of opening of the valve per unit are of axial turningof the stem changes.

when-the distanceof said point of contact from the longitudinal axis of said stem is changed and means for-holding said memfor tightly wedgingsaid valve to its seat. when in a closed position comprising-interafilocking projections attached to said stem her in contact with said cam surface, substantially asdescribed. a I V 7. In a valve of the type described, coacting means attached to the stem and casing for varying the free area of opening ofthe valve, said means consisting of a cam surf face rigidly attached throughout to one and a rigidly supported memberadjustably attached to the other, which member rides on. said cam surface as the valve is turning:

axially, its' pointof contact traveling in a circular path concentric with the longitudi- 1 nail axis of the stem, means-for-adyu'sting' the distance of said-point of-contact'from the longitudinal axis of the stem, s'aid'c'ain surface terminating at each circumferential end in a. surface substantially (perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of'sai stein, on one of which surfaces the said member rests" when the valve is in a completely open or. closed osition, the contour of said'cam surface being such that the rate'of-variation of contact with said cam surface and means and easing, substantially as described.

8. In a valve of the type described,means for varying. the free area of. opening ofltha valve, said means consisting of a cam surface rigidly attached throughout to the valve casing, anda rigidly supported memher on the valve stem which rides on the" saidcam surface as the valve stem is turned axially, its point of contact traveling in a e 7' circular path concentric with the" axis of. the

valve-stem, said-member on the valve stem. being adJuStabletOWard and from the valve stem, the contour of saidcam surface being i such that the rate of variation of free area of openmg of the valve per unit are of axial turning of the stemchanges when the distance of said point of contact from the longitudinal axis of said stem is changed and meansfor holding said member in contact with said cam surface, substantially as described.

9. In a valve of the type described, means for varying the free area of opening of the A rigidly attached throughout to the valve casing, a screw threaded through a rigid part of the valve operating means the axis of valve, said means consisting of a cam surface which is substantially parallel with' the 'datum plane ofthe said cam surface, 'and' a ()llClllillbGfidOll the inner end of said'screw theupper side of which rests in contact with p a rigid part of the valve operating means and the under side'of which rides on'said' cam surface as the valve is turned axially, the contour of said cam surface being such that the rate of variation'of free area of opening of the'valve per unit arc of axial turning of the stem changes when the distance of said point ofcontact from the longitudinal axis of said stem is' changed and [meansfor holding said head in contact with saidicamsurface, substantially as described. 7

In testimony'that I claim the foregoing as my invention, Taffix my signature in the pr'esenc'eof two subscribing witnesses this, 11 day of-December, 19 14. in

CHARLES D. ALLAN. y"

' Witnesses I F. MVRE ICH ELp .ALEXJDIKING, 

